The subject matter herein relates generally to an electrical device having a circuit board and one or more differential pairs of signal conductors with exposed wire-terminating ends that are terminated to the circuit board.
Various types of electrical devices may include circuit boards that are electrically coupled to differential pairs of signal conductors or, more specifically, pairs of signal conductors that transmit differential signals. For example, at least some known communication cables include a differential pair of signal conductors and a drain wire (also referred to as a grounding wire) that extends alongside the signal conductors for the length of the communication cable. The signal conductor(s) and the drain wire may be surrounded by a shield layer that, in turn, is surrounded by a cable jacket. The shield layer includes a conductive foil that, along with the drain wire, functions to shield the signal conductor(s) from electromagnetic interference (EMI) and generally improve performance. At an end of the communication cable, the cable jacket, the shield layer, and insulation that covers the signal conductor(s) may be removed (e.g., stripped) to expose the signal conductor(s). The drain wire and the exposed portions of the conductor(s) may then be mechanically and electrically coupled (e.g., soldered) to corresponding elements of an electrical device.
However, the above communication cable may have some undesirable characteristics, particularly when the communication cable is used for high speed applications (e.g., greater than 10 Gbps). For example, when attempting to terminate the drain wire to the circuit board, the conductive foil of the shield layer at the end of the communication cable may be unevenly cut or torn thereby allowing electromagnetic radiation to leak from the end of the cable. The conductive foil may also cause an unwanted increase in impedance at the end of the cable. Furthermore, the conductive foil is typically thin and may require careful handling during manufacture and termination of the communication cable. Thus, terminating the drain wire may risk damaging the conductive foil and may increase the overall cost of cable manufacturing.
Accordingly, there is a need for a communication cable that can be electrically coupled to an electrical component without terminating a drain wire to the electrical component.